1. Technical Field
The present technology relates to a potato slice cutting head and to a method of producing potato chips using a potato slice cutting head.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known to employ a rotary cutting apparatus for cutting potatoes into fine slices for the manufacture of potato chips. A well-known cutting apparatus, which has been used for more than 50 years, comprises an annular-shaped cutting head and a central impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products, such as potatoes, radially outwardly toward the cutting head.
A series of knives is mounted annularly around the cutting head and the knife cutting edges extend substantially circumferentially but slightly radially inwardly towards the impeller assembly. Each knife blade is clamped to the cutting head to provide a gap, extending in a radial direction, between the cutting edge of the blade and the head. The gap defines the thickness of the potato slices formed by the cutter.
In the manufacture of potato chips, the potatoes are cut into slices and, after cooking, for example by frying, and seasoning potato chips are produced which then are packaged for the consumer.
One problem with current manufacturing methods and apparatus is that sometime a small proportion of the potato chips have a maximum width dimension that the potato chips can be difficult to package. Typically, a measured amount of the potato chips is filled into a package which comprises a flexible bag, of selected dimensions, for packaging a defined weight of the potato chips. The bag is filed by, for example, a known vertical form, fill and seal (VFFS) machine. During the filling step, the package has an upper opening presenting a maximum width dimension, most typically a diameter of the opening, through which the potato chips are filled downwardly into the bag under gravity.
If the potato chips are too large in dimension, it is difficulty to fill the bag reliably and at high speed. Intermittently, some of the potato chips may inadvertently become tapped in the upper seal of the bag, which compromises product quality. In some cases, up to about 0.5% of the packages can be wasted because of this phenomenon. In addition, consumers may purchase faulty packaged products, which may lead to undesired consumer complaints.
Furthermore, large potato slices can reduce the ability of a given weight of potato chips to pack together in a package. This can require the packaging line speed to be reduced, which increases the production costs and lowers the production efficiency. Additionally, the package volume needs to be enlarged to be able to accommodate the poor chip packing density.
In order to attempt to alleviate the problems of excessively large potato chips, it is known to use grade potatoes prior to processing in order to ensure that the potatoes are sufficiently small that these packaging problems are minimized. The grading may be manual or automated. However, the use of small potatoes reduces the productivity and efficiency of the potato chip manufacturing process. Also, the production line cost is increased.
Also, there is an increasing desire to use large potatoes to manufacture potato chips in order to increase the productivity and efficiency of the potato chip manufacturing process. Large potatoes are agronomically more productive with a higher yield per acre of crops. There are some potato varieties which are used to manufacture other potato products, such as French fries, but which cannot efficiently be used to manufacture potato chips using known potato chip manufacturing apparatus and processes because the potatoes are too large.
If potatoes are used which are too large for the cutting head to process, it is known to use a “grader halver” upstream of the potato slicer. The grader halver cuts the potatoes in half prior to slicing in order to reduce the slice dimensions. There are a number of problems with the use of potato halvers. First, the production line cost is increased. Second, the grader halvers are not very efficient and can reduce production speeds. Third, the presence of potato chips with straight edges in a package of potato chips is generally not acceptable to the consumer.
It is also known to use packaging machines with “chip breakers” which remove or break up excessively large potato chips immediately upstream of the packaging machine. However, this causes product waste and/or can also produce a large number of crumbs or small pieces which again are generally not acceptable to the consumer.